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Monday, September 12, 2016

Getting to Know You...

Characters are the life blood of fiction (no pun intended). No matter how fantastic a plot is, it can’t move itself. Try to write a novel without any characters and let me know how that works out! Let’s face it—without them, all you’ve got is scenery. There are always characters that readers love, and there are characters they love to hate. Writers feel the same way, but have more control over what their characters do, say, and feel—and of course, over their ultimate destinies. I say “more control” because even writers don’t have total control, as I’ve touched on in a previous issue.

But writers do have fun creating characters, and believe it or not, the process of getting to know them can go on, well beyond the pages of the books they star in. They live on in side notes that never make it to the published page; in outlines, backstories, and even in the minds of their fellow characters. Sometimes they hide in the shadows of other stories, where they play no critical role, but get to light up readers’ faces when their casual mention brings back a flood of memories.

Characters have also been known to speak for themselves in interviews from time to time. A good character interview will bring out the uniqueness of their personalities…maybe even give them the chance to finally tell their side of the story. If you are an author and get a chance to give such an interview, have fun with it! This is an opportunity, not just to rehash things you’ve already written about, but to dig a little deeper into your character’s psyche, without the constraints of plot. Flesh out things you wish you could have in your book, but didn’t have room for. Expand on significant life events that had an impact on your character, for good or bad. Show off the flavor of his or her personality. Or you can add something completely new that has never been revealed before. If you’re a reader and you get a chance to read these interviews, they are a great way to get to know more about your favorite characters, or find new ones.

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It’s pretty safe to say that every author has a goal of selling more books. That seems logical at first glance. What isn’t always readily apparent is what steps are needed to reach that goal. Here at BreakThrough Promotions, we’re ready, willing and experienced at helping authors determine and meet specific goals. Why not review our packages and find one that meets your needs? If you’re looking for something that’s not listed, contact me and see if we can include it in a package specially designed for you!